Course details:	ENG 2850 Great Works of Literature II 3.0 Credits Section GTRA https://eng2850fall22.commons.gc.cuny.edu/home/ (the site address stuck to fall2022, but the site has been updated)
Prof details:	Manon Hakem-Lemaire, Ph.D. Candidate in Comparative Literature at The Graduate Center, CUNY mhakemlemaire@gc.cuny.edu (I aim to respond within 48 hours excluding weekends, and I aim to turn assignments round within 2 weeks.)
Class format:	Fully online, flipped classroom, with a blend of asynchronous and synchronous activities on Zoom and CUNYCommons.
Meeting details:	Tue-Thu 7:50-9:30 am, fully online (see Schedule) Recurring Zoom link (all meetings and office hours):  https://gc-cuny-edu.zoom.us/j/85889217294 Meeting ID: 858 8921 7294 The password is in the first email I sent you. You’ll need to log in via CUNY SSO (cuny.zoom.us), with your Baruch email. Make sure your Zoom app is updated regularly.
Drop-in hour:	Thursdays, 9:30am-10:30am EST, on Zoom (same link as above)
Reading materials:	This course uses Open Educational Resources (OER), which are entirely cost-free and accessible online. Developed in the Open Knowledge Fellowship at The Graduate Center’s Mina Rees Library, this work is made possible by state grant funding through the Office of Library Services. The main resource we will use is this free and accessible anthology: https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1018&context=english-textbooks. Links and pdfs will be provided for any other necessary resource.
Tech needed:	– Internet connection – Baruch Mail – Zoom (through SSO Baruch login), a mic and a camera – Office Pack (Word, Powerpoint) – Google Forms (for exit tickets and mid-term surveys) Technical help is available by email to HelpDesk1@baruch.cuny.edu, and you can reach out to me.

“A work of art does not answer questions, it provokes them; and its essential meaning is in the tension between the contradictory answers.”
Leonard Bernstein

“The one real goal of education is to leave a person asking questions.”
Max Beerbohm

Course description

This course presents a global approach to literature by introducing a variety of narrative, lyric, and dramatic forms representative of different cultures and historical periods, from the eighteenth century to the present. We will approach texts of a variety of forms and genres, from satire, Romantic poetry, and modern plays, to a broad range of fictional and non-fictional narratives. Discussions involve both close reading of selected texts and comparison of the values the texts promote. You will engage in a variety of communication-intensive activities designed to enhance your appreciation of literature and your awareness of the way it shapes and reflects a multicultural world. The most important takeaway I hope you leave this course with is that you can and should raise questions and make your own arguments about any piece of cultural history.

Learning Goals

Specific outcomes of this course are the following:

• Interpret meaning in literary texts by paying close attention to authors’ choices of detail, vocabulary, and style;
  
• Discuss the relationship between different genres of literary texts and the multicultural environments from which they spring;
  
• Articulate a critical evaluation and appreciation of a literary work’s strengths and limitations;
  
• Present your ideas orally;
  
• Express your ideas critically, in writing and orally, employing:
          o A strong thesis statement,
          o Appropriate textual citations,
          o Contextual and intertextual evidence for your ideas.

Assessment

You will be assessed on both weekly participation in the modules (low-stakes) and scaffolded, semester-long work (high-stakes).

Weekly work: You will have a module to complete each week. This includes reading, watching a recorded lecture (30-50 minutes each), completing an exit ticket, and discussing the content with your classmates by posting and commenting on a shared Google Doc. We will also meet in two groups on Thursdays to discuss the readings and do in-class activities.

Semester-long work: Over the weeks, you will build work towards a final project on the text of your chose that analyzes and gives your interpretation of that piece of literature. You have freedom of choice on their topic, as long as it concerns literature between the 1700s and present (the scope of this course). The point is that you work on a topic you are genuinely interested in.

You will find detailed instructions for weekly work under ‘Modules’ in this website’s main menu, and in the ‘Assignments’ section and submenu for semester-long work.

Summary of assignments required in this course:

• Completion of at least 8 out of 10 weekly modules and exit tickets; One 300-word post about a reading in a given week, and at least 8 comments on other people’s posts over the semester (on the shared Google Doc);
• A project proposal (500 words);
• A project outline (2-3 pages);
• Participation in an outline peer-review in pairs on Zoom in Week 9;
• Attend one appointment with a Writing Center tutor for your chosen assignment (anytime before the final project is due);
• Submission of the final project in respect of the instructions (2000 words/10-12 minutes).

All assignments (except for the Google Doc and exit tickets) are to be submitted on Blackboard via SafeAssign.

Feedback:
For this course, I use the “ungrading” and “contract-grading” methods, which are aimed at giving minimal quantified assessment to students’ work, so as to shift the focus from grades to qualitative feedback. This means that consistent and continuous participation is crucial, and that you will receive oral and written feedback rather than grades on your work.

Grading contract

For best results:

• You have completed all required assignments. If you requested an extension or accommodation for up to one assignment above, you requested it in advance of the deadline, and you submitted by the agreed new deadline.
• You have communicated with me by email or during office hours when you could not complete the work for more than one week straight or when you couldn’t submit an assignment.
• You have respected the instructions given to the best of your ability and contacted me in case of doubt. If the instructions were still misunderstood, you resubmitted when offered the chance.
• The work you have presented is your own, not plagiarized, and not generated by AI. You express yourself in your own words and can defend your thought processes.

Because a final letter grade still needs to appear on your transcript, the table below details grade ranges for different cases. I will also ask for your input on the grade you think corresponds to your work based on the table below, and I will then compare your self-asseessment form with my records of your work to make sure that they match.

A	All requirements above have been fulfilled.
A-/B+	One of the requirements above was missed or not fully complete, but you have submitted your project proposal, outline, and final project. No more than one assignment was submitted late, with an approved extension.
B/B-	Two of the requirements above were missed, but you have submitted your project outline and final project.
C+	More than two of the requirements above were missed, but you have submitted your final project.
C/C-	Three requirements above were missed, but you have submitted your final project.
D+/D	More than three of the requirements above were missed, but you have submitted your final project.
F	Less than half of the requirements above have been fulfilled and you have not submitted your final project.
WD	You have officially dropped the course.
WN/W	You have officially withdrawn from the course by the Registrar’s deadline (see Academic Calendar).
WU	You have unofficially withdrawn from the course.

Opportunity for extra credit: an optional take-home exam (untimed), is proposed in the main menu, in the submenu under ‘Assignments’, to raise your final letter grade by half a point (e.g. a B+ into an A-, A- into A, etc.). This can help you compensate in case you are missing some of the requirements above. You may submit that exam as prevention at any point before the deadline given. No extensions will be granted for this, as it is available to you during several months.

Late work and extensions

I accept late work or accommodations at my discretion. You can get an extension for relevant assignments as long as you communicate with me early to ask for an extension or accommodation. I do not need to know why you need it, but I require that you ask as soon as possible in advance of the deadline. No extensions can be granted for the weekly work (modules and exit tickets) because you are already allowed to miss 2 out of 10 of the modules without penalty. It is your responsibility to make a sensible choice of which modules to miss when you really need to. For other assignments, please contact me as soon as you foresee that you may need more time, and we can discuss your needs.

Remember that you may not get a final grade in the A range if you submit late assignments more than once in the semester, or if you do not submit your final project by the deadline (or request an extension prior to the deadline and and respect your new given deadline.)

**Please know that if too many students request an extension for the same assignment, I may not be able to grant them all, as the sole instructor of this course. Thus, I trust the whole class to only request extensions in case of true need, so as to make it possible for me to assess your work in reasonable time, as a mark of respect to your classmates’ and my own time.**

Methodology

Necessary methodological skills for your assignments will be developed through class activities, both asynchronously and synchronously. You are also expected to consult the Methodology page (main menu) and use the resources available there. Finally, you will be encouraged to use the free one-on-one help at the Writing Center, as well as use their website for writing guides (please see links below).

AI Statement

Since this is a class about learning to articulate your own thoughts, I ask you not to use any form of AI, at any stage of your writing process. This includes Chat GPT, Quillbot, Grammarly, all other similar tools, and, in some capacity, Google Translate (if English is not your first language, as it isn’t mine, please make every effort to only translate the words you do not know, as opposed to full sentences. You will integrate the new words far better that way). Writing in “correct” English is not something you need to worry too much about in this course, as long as I can understand what you are saying (if I don’t, you’ll get a chance to resubmit). Since Baruch has such a diverse body of students, I do not assess work on the quality of expression. My focus is on the originality of your thoughts (meaning that they are solely your own thoughts) and the quality of your argumentation (how well you organize your analysis of literature and how clearly structured your point is). Therefore, if you considered using AI to improve your quality of expression, please rest assured that you will not be assessed on this criterion (although I will offer some feedback to help you improve). Please also be aware that improving your language will not be helped by AI, as you will not learn by making mistakes as you would if you went through an organic thought process. AI will only ever reprocess work that already exists on the internet (which is only about 40 years old) and was made by people who may not have agreed for their thoughts to be used that way, which is then equal to plagiarism. While AI may improve life in many aspects, and while I have previously used it with students to show its limitations, I have come to the conclusion that it has no place in a course about critical thinking. That skill is the most important one you can get out of college, no matter what you go on to do once you graduate. Please be conscious of the power of your ability to think creatively and independently, and do not blindly follow the herd. If you resort to AI because you do not see yourself as a creative person, develop that skill instead.

Finally, please know that while this new technology may seem exciting and convenient for those who have the privilege to use it, there are still people in developing countries who are paid very low wages and work in inacceptable conditions in order to train bots like ChatGPT so that it shows results that match Western standards. Everything comes at a price, and you pay it too by losing your creative and critical abilities, which means you can then be controlled. If you are going to use AI (outside of this course), please make sure it matches your values. More information about the behind-the-scenes of AI is available in this interview of AI expert Kate Crawford.

Writing and Oral Expression Support

While producing argumentative work, you’ll want to seek feedback from many different people. Asking for and receiving feedback is not a sign of weakness and it does not equal weak expression skills; it’s actually a sign of wisdom and makes your skills much stronger. You’ll give feedback to and get feedback from your classmates in this class. I also encourage you to get feedback from professional consultants (some of whom also teach first-year writing courses) at the SACC, the Writing Center, and the TfCS below:

• SACC (Student Academic Consulting Center) 

SACC supports the academic success of undergraduates at Baruch College through small group peer tutoring and other programs, serving students in a wide variety of subjects across the curriculum. 

Student Academic Consulting Center (SACC)

• Writing Center 

The Writing Center offers free support to all Baruch students. Our professional consultants work collaboratively with you to deepen your writing and English language skills. 

https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/writingcenter/

• Tools for Clear Speech  

TfCS offers a broad range of free tutorial sessions, workshops, and online practice to enhance the oral communication skills of all Baruch students, whether or not native English speakers.

TfCS improves the pronunciation, fluency, and pragmatic abilities of Non-Native English Speakers (NNES) at the College. Rather than “accent reduction,” our focus is on enhancing students’ intelligibility. No other academic support program in higher education offers such structured, overarching communication support for undergraduate and graduate NNES.

All services are developed and delivered by professional Speech Consultants who hold advanced degrees in TESOL and/or applied linguistics.

TfCS services are FREE for Baruch participants​. 

As an academic support unit, TfCS works to improve students’ intelligibility through multimodal instruction, including:

• One-to-One Sessions: 30- or 60-minute individualized tutorials with professional Speech Consultants

• The Focused Skills Series: an extensive research-based workshop series that encompasses the full range of communication skills, from individual sound production to appropriate communication in academic, professional, and social contexts

• Conversation Hours: engaging, low-stakes discussions for small groups of students to build English fluency

• Tools To-Go: a professionally-developed distance learning platform composed of interactive, online practice modules in all key areas of American English pronunciation

• Just to Be Clear: the program’s instructional podcast, which explores the learning and teaching of spoken English and offers corresponding listening/speaking exercises for English learners

• Oral Communication Video Assessment: an original speaking diagnostic and progress instrument for quantified, personal feedback via scoring rubrics and holistic commenting

If you have concerns about how to refer students to our program, we offer some guidance on our website. Furthermore, please feel free to reach out to me, TfCS Associate Director Tristan Thorne, or Curriculum Specialist Kim Edmunds with questions.

Welcome to TfCS

When extra help is needed

At Baruch, we acknowledge that as a student, you are balancing many demands. During the semester, if you start to experience personal difficulties or stressors that are interfering with your academic performance or day to day functioning, please consider seeking free and confidential support from the Baruch College Counseling Center. For more information or to make an appointment, please visit their website at https://studentaffairs.baruch.cuny.edu/counseling/ or call 646-312-2155. If it’s outside of business hours (Monday-Friday 9-5pm) and you need immediate assistance, please call 1-888-NYC-WELL (888-692-9355). If you are concerned about one of your classmates, please share that concern by filling out a Campus Intervention Team form at https://studentaffairs.baruch.cuny.edu/campus-intervention-team.

Accommodations

Baruch is committed to making individuals with disabilities full participants in the programs, services, and activities of the college community through compliance with Section 504 of the 8 Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. It is the policy of Baruch that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability will be denied access to any program, service, or activity offered by the university. Individuals with disabilities have a right to request accommodations.

If you require any accommodation, please contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities at disabilityservices@baruch.cuny.edu, and let me know as soon as you can, ideally during the first two weeks of class. I encourage you to meet with me to co-design accommodations. For additional information check out the Student Disability Services webpage: https://studentaffairs.baruch.cuny.edu/student-disability-services/.

Academic Integrity

I’ll expect you to compose your work ethically, meaning that if you use the work of others, you cite that work, and that all work in this course is original, composed for the first time for this course, and is entirely your own, to the degree that anything we write and present is entirely our own. All students enrolled at Baruch are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty, as defined in the Baruch Student Handbook.

Plagiarism is presenting another’s ideas, research, or writing as your own, such as:

• Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes (a functional limit is four or more words taken from another’s work);
• Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledgement;
• Using information that is not considered common knowledge without acknowledging the source;
• Submitting work generated by AI, whose results are based on existing work made by people;
• Plagiarism may result in a failing grade on a particular assignment, at the least, and, depending on the circumstances, a failing grade in the course. It is a serious offense that, if done knowingly and depending on the severity and other factors, can result in a failing grade (or worse) and a mark on your permanent academic record.

If you ever have any questions or concerns about plagiarism, please ask me. You can also check out the online plagiarism tutorial prepared by members of the Newman Library faculty at http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/help/plagiarism/default.htm and Baruch College’s academic integrity policy at http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/academic/academic_honesty.htm

Mutual expectations

I expect you to participate as much as possible and always communicate with me when you have any impediments. Learning is a collaborative activity, and your participation is required to make class discussion as rich and diverse as possible. I will ask that we turn cameras on during our Zoom meetings, with the reasonable assumption that people will turn their cameras off momentarily when they need to, or have tech issues, but will turn them on most of the time. I will show you how to use a blurred or artificial background, and how to upload a profile picture on Zoom. It is simply impossible to have a quality learning environment when students have never been on camera and I can’t associate a face to a name, and since I cannot teach effectively without being visible myself, I expect you to also be.

I want the class to be a safe space in which everyone feels comfortable contributing. I ask that we all be respectful of one another and the wonderfully diverse opinions, ethnic backgrounds, gender expressions and sexual orientations, social classes, religious beliefs, and ethnicities among us. In the same spirit, written work in this course should employ inclusive language, which shows that the writer honours the diversity of the human race by not using language that would universalize one element of humanity to the exclusion of others. For example, use “men and women” or “people” instead of the generic “man”; use “they” or alternate “he” and “she” instead of the generic “he” to represent “all people.”

I will treat you with respect and will spend a good deal of time this semester giving you extensive group and individual feedback, just like I’ll ask for your feedback throughout the semester.

Withdrawing/Dropping the course

If you fall behind in the class for any reason, I encourage you to talk to me or consult an academic counselor. If you feel you must drop or withdraw from this course, you must do so by the dates on the academic calendar: https://enrollmentmanagement.baruch.cuny.edu/registrar/academic-calendar/.

If you decide to withdraw/drop, please let me know. No questions asked. It just avoids me trying to get in touch with you and figuring out how to assess you, while in fact you may have left the course weeks earlier. As your instructor, I care about your academic journey in this course, so please just make sure I know about your decision and don’t wonder if you are still in the course.